Puppy Love
by Gitana
Summary: Willow falls deeper in love with Oz. Takes place in BTVS S2.


PUPPY LOVE

Pairing: Willow & Oz

Story timeline: BTVS, somewhere in the middle of season 2.

**DISCLAIMER: **Basically, it all belongs to Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon.

The world somehow was different, even the air had a distinct chill. California, these days, did not feel like California. Willow's universe suddenly had a new orbit, a new sun, and definitely a new moon. Every moment before Oz came into her life blended together in the same thread of black and white in which her fate spiraled uncontrollably until he walked in and everything was forever alive. Painfully in love, she went through her days counting the hair on his head and the freckles on his shoulders. Her eyes were no longer her eyes, but his satellites.

Buffy and Xander, best friends at last, were both happy and worried. Nothing could have prepared them to deal with a new brand of fellowship. There were times when they desperately needed Willow's academic wit but she was lovingly embraced to a fleeting day dream that could not wait 'till night. It's incredible how selfish one can be when another's happiness stands in the way of our comfort. There is no path clear enough in which to travel the murky waters of romance. Willow's ignorance was pure, unadulterated bliss.

Floating in and out of Oz's shadow Willow felt a troublesome thud outside her window. "Ugh, back already?Mom?", she called out. "Dad?", for a second time and louder Willow tried to satisfy her curiosity without having to get out of bed. As she expected, nobody answered. Willow's parents were out of town for three days attending a cousin's wedding. In a sudden rush of speed she jumped out of bed and looked out the window. Standing by a big tree she could see a small body fighting with an annoying branch that kept hitting him in the back of the head. Squinting her eyes she recognized the by now familiar shape that kept her awake for hours. Her heart started beating and self consciousness followed. She couldn't believe it, her reaction was both happy and regretful. _What would she do? _Inviting him into her room seemed like a very bad idea for many reasons.

Another look out the window revealed that indeed it wasOz, and that he wasstill there. Willow noticed he was now waving, "Oh! He saw me! Geez, I need to change..". With butterflies in her stomach she tried not to throw up while looking for something to wear over her pajamas. Hanging on the back of the door her black after-bath robe was dry enough to do the trick. It took seven long minutes for her to gather enough courage to wave back to him to come in. "Oh boy.."

As Oz approached Willow's window a taller figure followed his very slow steps. Willow couldn't see it, she was too busy fixing her hair. Oz finally got to the window and with a shy "Hello", he alerted the blushing red head to somebody else's presence.

She could have died.

"It's really late", was her only thought.

"What do you mean? Aren't you happy your boy is here..." Angelus was grinning from ear to ear, knowingly anticipating every bit of embarrassment from the two youngsters. "Awwww, brings a tear to the eye."

"I think we can go now..." Oz advised the vampire, "...she came out, she saw us, we can go." Angelus tightened the grip on Oz's small wrist, "...we can always stay a little longer", Oz agreed.

"Now this is what I call bad manners, Willow..." Angelus got ever so close to her face, "I go through all the trouble in the world to get dear Oz to you. I go to his house, make him put a nice, clean shirt, I bring him over and you have not the decency of letting us climb over there. Not even a thank you."

"Eh, I wasn't expecting this." Willow managed to talk for one second.

"Good! Who doesn't like a surprise? Let us in."

"I don't think so."

"Maybe I should just knock on the door and wake up your parents. I could tell them what you whisper in your sleep, the things you say about little Oz here. Red, Don't. Make. Me. Talk."

Oz lowered his head and closed his eyes trying not to make Willow's embarrassment worse. Or his own.

"Let us in", Angelus repeated.

"You can't come in unless I invite you, right?", Willow braved up her defenses.

"I can _make _you invite me, though."

"I'll call Buffy..."

Angelus laughed hard enough for Willow's mom to hear, luckily, she wasn't in the house. He expected the Rosenbergs at any moment to further tickle his dark humor.

"Stop that!" Willow yelled reading his every intention.

"Afraid your daddy will find us here? Aw, come on. We'll make a party out of it."

"Please go." Willow answered back, distracted by the wind the sound made every time it entered the house.

"Holy tornado", Oz said as his the wind played with his orange hair.

"Holy!" Willow remembered Giles had given her a small container full of holy water... Now, if only she could get it without Oz getting hurt. Willow looked inside her drawer, then under bed. Angelus started to get impatient.

"What are you doing? Hiding your underwear? We're all friends here." Angelus laughed but Willow kept going about. "Listen, girlie... I will kill this son of a.."

"I'm just looking for my new puppy..."

"In your drawer?" Angelus asked agitated.

"Come on, Darling, bark, anything..." Willow talked loudly as she looked on the floor.

"Puppies don't bark, they whimper, like bitches". Angelus said, showing his fangs. "Like this," Angelus bit into Oz's flesh like a baby into his mother's breast. "There you are",Willow thought while she reached for the small bottle. She could hear Oz whimpering while she grabbed the bottle off the floor, she took the cap off as fast as she could and rushed it to the vampire's face.

"Bitch!" Angelus yelled, finally freeing Oz of his deadly bite.

"Oz!" Willow yelled, careful not to voice an invite of any kind, she waved at him to jump inside. Once safe, the couple shut the window and closed the blinds,leaving Angelus outside, blind with anger and swearing revenge.

**THE END**


End file.
